Unbreakable
by MissLantern
Summary: A young woman wakes up in a cage with no memories of who or what she is. Believing she's an experiment, she undegoes horrific torture and is turned into the perfect weapon. Will she be savable, or will the animal inside her take over.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is about my version of X 23. She is not Logan's clone and her back story is nothing like the comic books. I look forward to reading your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own X-men or any of the characters.**

I opened my eyes, and was met with blackness. I was lying on a hard cold surface. I sat up, hearing my back crack from the cold hard floor. Where was I? Who was I? I tried to remember my name, or how old I was but I couldn't. I couldn't even recall what I looked like.

I stood up and tried to make out where I was. In a panic I tried to run but I ran into something hard, and fell to the floor in pain. I immediately smelt the warm liquid that was running down my face, and dripping down my chest. Using my hands, I felt my way up my face and discovered a large welt on my forehead. As if by magic, I felt the bump go down, and the cut close up. The blood flow stopped as well. How was that possible? I am a human aren't I?

I lay back down on the cold floor, holding my pounding head. I couldn't remember a single thing, and whenever I tried to think, a roaring pain ignited in my skull. I thought my brain was going to explode.

The only things I knew, was that I could speak Japanese, English, Spanish, and Russian. I was also an expert martial artist, but how I gained those skills, I had no idea.

A sudden noise alerted my attention. I sprang to my feet in a fighting position. I clenched my fist hard, and a sharp pain ignited between my knuckles. I cried out in pain, and clenched onto my burning knuckle. The moment I grabbed my hand, my other hand was pierced with what felt like a knife.

Blood was pouring out of my hand, and I could hear it dripping onto the floor. I pulled my left hand away, and the knives slid their way out of my right hand.

Other than my heavy breathing, I could hear someone walking towards my direction. Completely blind, I took a few steps backward until I came across another barrior. I turned around and wrapped my hands around bars. Keeping a hand on them, I walked around trying to find a way past them. After the fourth turn, I realized I was in a cage.

The footsteps subsided; so I took a deep breath and tried to gain control of my nerves. I listened for a few seconds and when the continuous vibrations of silence were the only thing I heard, I calmed down a bit. I stretched up with my arms, and felt nothing. I jumped with my hands outstretched and felt the bars. I was locked in. Maybe there was a latch somewhere.

I jumped higher and grabbed onto the bars. I swung my legs out and wrapped my feet around the bars. I started to climb around the top of the cage looking for an exit.

I heard a noise which caused me to pause, and then a blinding white light engulfed me. I shielded my eyes, and when I opened them, someone was standing in front of the bars. A painful electric shock went through my entire body. I fell from the bars and landed on my back. The air was knocked right out of me and I was gasping for air.

"I see you have awakened X-23" said a masculine voice. I rubbed my aching back, and glared at the person who attacked me. A tall balding man in a white lab coat was holding a clip board. He stared at me through half spectacles, and was writing on his clip board. I showed my teeth, and a deep growl came out of my mouth. It took me a moment to realize I was the one making the snarling sounds.

"Who are you, where am I, and why can't I remember anything" I yelled at him. It was the first time I heard my voice, and I was shocked by it. It was a strong feminine voice.

Now that I could see, I looked down at myself. I was wearing a white robe, and it was stained with blood. I looked at my hands expecting to see stab wounds. The only evidence that I was previously injured was the drying blood on my hands.

"Because you are brand new, I will allow you to question me this one time. If it happens again, I will be forced to punish you" he said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was this for real?

"My name is professor Kinney. You are in a secretly funded research facility. The location and the whys are not your concern. You cannot remember anything because you have no memories prior to just waking up. You are a genetically enhanced mutant that was designed to have similar characteristics to Weapon X. While we grew you, we programmed multiple languages and martial arts into your cerebellum. You have no memories of the outside world, and what you do know has been programmed into you" he said. I…I was a… experiment?

"That's not possible! Your lying to me!" I screamed. I ran straight at him and reached through the bars and grabbed his coat. He looked surprised but didn't have enough time to respond. I raised my other hand, and was going to grab his neck when that familiar slicing pain radiated from my knuckles.

I looked at my hand and gasped when I saw three bones sticking out between my fingers. Blood was trickling out from the areas where they came out, and they stung. I let go of the professor, and grasped my wrist. Before I could panic, I was shocked once more. This time, it didn't end as quickly as the first time. I writhed and arched my back trying to get away from the burning electricity. My screams echoed throughout the big empty room.

When the shocks finally stopped, every part of my body was aching. I could hear my heart beat in my ears, and I tasted blood in my mouth. I must have bitten my tongue.

I wanted to get up and go after that evil man again. But all I could do was lay on the cement, too weak to move. Where were the shocks coming from? I looked around the cage and didn't see anything.

"If you ever behave like that again, you will get a much worse punishment. If you try to remove the collar on your neck, it will ignite a self-destruct mechanism and kill you.

I have put a lot of research and money into you X-23. In a few moments, my team will be here to transport you to your permanent holding cell" he said. He clasped his hands behind his back and left the room.

The only sound in the room came from my sobs. I pulled my knees into my chest, and tried to block everything out. He was lying. I couldn't be some experiment. Could I? I looked at my knuckles, and willed the sharp bones to come out again. The skin between my finger's sliced open, and the long extra phalanges ripped their way through my skin.

I touched one of them, and flinched from the contact. They were very sensitive, and thin. They barley went past the four inch mark. I pulled them back in, and watched as the slits closed up. From what I knew, humans didn't have this ability. I sat up and looked around the empty room. I was the only person here. I stood up and started pacing in my cage. I was extremely thirsty and hungry.

Then I heard more footsteps. I glared at the four approaching men. Three of them carried guns, and the other was wearing a similar coat as the professor and was pushing some kind of bed.

They had their guns aimed at me. All I could do was back up to the end of the cage. I tried to get as far away from them as possible.

"Alright, you guys corner it, and I'll shoot first" commanded the leader. The other two cornered me, and waited. I was breathing so hard it thought I was going to pass out. Weird whimpering noises were coming out of my mouth, and my arms were wrapped around my chest. I was shaking so badly. They were going to kill me, right here and now. And there wasn't a single thing I could do about it.

The leader fired, and something dug into my thigh. I looked down and saw a dart. Nothing happened so I pulled it out. Then the other two fired their weapons. I began to feel numb, and sank to the floor.

When I was unable to move, they opened the cage door and walked in. I was still awake and growled at them.

"Feisty little bitch isn't she snipes" laughed the man who had a repulsive smell. The one giving orders, looked down at me and grinned. He grabbed me by my hair, and yanked me up. I grimaced and tried to will my arms to move, but I couldn't. I was completely paralyzed.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here. We're going to have some good ol' times you and me" he smiled. He threw me onto the ground hard, and I heard something break. Breathing was becoming painful, so it must have been a rib. A tear dripped down my cheek, and fell to the floor.

The man saw, and kicked me hard in the stomach. Blood splattered out of my mouth as I coughed. I wanted to throw up, but all that came of it was the painful clenching of my stomach. I didn't have anything to bring up.

"You see that men. We just witnessed rule number 3. If we see it even shed one tear, we are to punish it as we see fit" he shouted.

The other two approached me, and kicked me on my other side. All three of them continued to kick me in the ribs, the stomach, or anywhere else that was exposed.

Only when I was gasping for air did they stop. My vision was blurry, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Welcome to day one you freak" he said kicking me in the face. The impact knocked me out for a few seconds. When I came to, I was strapped to the white bed and being wheeled out of the dark and empty room.

O0O

I watched as they wheeled X-23 into the laboratory. Everything was going as planned. She believed she was a genetic experiment, and none of her previous memories survived the extraction process. A few more months of this treatment and her spirit will be completely broken. That was the one fault our investor was worried about. Unlike the previous 22 experiments before her, she had a life outside this sanctuary, and wasn't the sort to give in. We followed her for months, watching her as she trained, and went on various missions.

Selina Williams, her true name, was the best choice out of all the candidates. She caught our eye about a year ago when she managed to infiltrate one of our facilities, and steal our documents on genetic manipulation.

She was orphaned at a young age, and adopted by a well-known ninja master. He ran an academy for gifted kids, and he took her in immediately. She was the top of her class, excelling in various martial arts, and mastering each one. At the age of 14, she was going on secret special opp missions. Her birth date indicates that she is currently 17 years of age. The perfect age for infusing adamantium.

Not only was she a prodigy, but she also had extra abilities. Enhanced scent, hearing, and, her extraordinary healing abilities. Not only that, but she curiously had the same extra phalanges as Weapon X. However, her mutation was slightly different than his. She possessed a deadly poison in her finger nails, and she could instill great fear with a single glance.

Unlike the previous 22 weapons, she is the first that didn't need to be genetically manipulated. We hit the lottery when we discovered she already possessed these abilities. Also she wasn't deprived of human interaction her entire life. Even though she can't remember, it will still have a psychological effect on her. Which we plan to use in our advantage. From our observations, she was constantly in contact with others, and worried for their well-being. If she proves difficult to break, then we will be forced to use her weakness against her.

She was strapped onto the gurney, and was still mostly sedated. Her eyes were open, but she wasn't moving. Before we infuse the adamantium, we need to strengthen her regeneration process because she currently heals at a slower rate compared to Wolverine.

Some of the experiments before her died during the process. They had about a 50% chance of making it, if their bodies were strong enough. X-23's body was rather fragile looking. She's also shorter than the others before her; only standing at 5 foot 5, and weighing 102 pounds.

After the team had her in place, I signaled for them to continue. They put the adamantium cap over her head so the radiation wouldn't kill her brain cells. Then they brought the immuno suppressor machine over and put it directly over her. This machine was similar to what cancer patients used for radiation therapy. Only this machine was much stronger, and designed to infect cells, and destroy the immune system. If she survived the next couple rounds of the radiation, Her body will be strong enough to survive the adamantium infusion.

O0O

I was still numb from the tranquilizers they used on me. I became conscious sometime before they brought me into the room I was in now. They wheeled me through various tunnels; I tried to memorize them, but there were too many turns. My arms and legs were tied down, and something was inside my mouth surrounding my teeth.

The room they brought me in was white and surrounded by weird looking machines. I came to a halt, and looked up at the wall that had a mirror on it. There was a girl looking straight back at me.

She had long straight ebony hair, and amethyst colored eyes. She looked small and thin, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her creamy white skin was flawless, except for the dried blood that covered her face. She looked so frail, but her eyes were like fire.

I looked away from the girl to see a very large… thing being placed over me. The man that kicked me earlier was grinning at me. Whatever this thing was, I had the feeling it was going to cause me a great deal of pain.

A woman walked up to me carrying what looked like a helmet. She looked down at me, and gave me half a smile. She put the helmet on my head, and pulled the front visor down. I was completely in the dark and I didn't know what was going on.

"Ok, begin the radiation treatment. All doctors leave the room in one, two three" I heard the shuffling of feet and a door slam. A loud noise erupted right above me, and it began to circle around me.

I began to get warm, which then turned into burning. My skin was on fire, and I felt like I was melting. I started to scream, and I clenched my jaw hard to try and block out the pain. The flames were going to eat me alive. I didn't know whether I was awake or dead because all I could see was darkness.

Finally the loud circling noise stopped and I heard the door open again. Someone pulled the helmet off of me, and I opened my eyes. Two men and the woman from before were writing on clip boards while analyzing me. I looked back at the girl in the mirror and was horrified. Her once creamy perfect skin was burnt with oozing blisters. Her eyes were swollen and tears streamed down her cheek.

"Immune suppressant on X-23 was a success professor" said the woman in the lab coat. They were looking up at the mirror, and waiting for something.

"Good job team, bring her to her holding cell, and keep tabs on her" said the professor. He wasn't in the room, so where was he?

I began to feel really sick. I felt like I swallowed something bad, and my whole body was shaking violently.

The woman opened my mouth and pulled out the thing that was between my teeth. It was some kind of mold, and was covered in blood.

She then went behind me and started pushing the bed. We were in the tunnels again, but this time it didn't take as long. She stopped in front of another cage, only this one wasn't vacant.

Piles of straw was scattered on the floor with a white sheet on top of it. There was a sink and a toilet in the cage as well.

The woman untied my straps, and motioned for a man to lift me. I cringed as he touched my burnt skin. He carried me into the stall and laid me on the straw. They closed and locked the cage, and the man turned to leave while the woman stayed behind. She sat in a chair with her clip board and just watched me.

My stomach was churning, and I couldn't stop shaking. I looked down at my burns and noticed they weren't closing up. Why wasn't I healing? I sat up in the straw and stretched out my arm. My arm looked like it was split in two. I could see my muscle tissues, and my skin was red.

My stomach started to clench, and I quickly crawled over to the toilet where I was violently sick. I looked into the water and saw blood. I retched again, and again. I couldn't stop, until finally I passed out on the toilet bowl.

When I woke up, I was laying in the straw bed. My vision was blurry, but I could smell that someone was sitting next to me. I weakly tilted my head, and looked at him. It was a guy I haven't seen yet. He had long blonde hair that was tied up. He was laying hot rags on my wounds. I winced as he put one on my arm. He flinched at my move.

"You're finally awake. I'm Mike your nurse I guess you can say" he said laughing. I stared at him in confusion. What was a nurse?

"Don't tell anyone I'm helping you, or they'd have my head. I hope these towels make you feel a little better" he said.

I looked down at myself and cringed. My wounds were still there, only they were beginning to scab. One little move was enough to open them up again.

"How are you feeling? You've been out all night" he asked. He waited for me to speak, and then when I didn't he went back to laying towels on my skin. It burned, but at the same time felt good. I wanted to talk to him, but I was afraid he was going to beat me like the other man did. In my condition, I don't think I could survive it.

"Are you hungry? I have your breakfast here" he said motioning to a tray of food. Whatever it was, it didn't look edible.

"Yeah I know. It's pretty much mystery meat that's loaded with vitamins. I guess there trying to build you up" he said.

He grabbed my waist, and slowly sat me up. I grimaced at the crackling of my burnt skin. It was as if someone was holding a flame up against my bare skin.

He put a hand on my robe and was about to open it when I grabbed his hand. I didn't want him to touch me there.

"Don't worry, I'm a professional. I promise my intentions are only to help you. I'm not that kind of guy. I'm just going to rub some aloe on you. It'll cool down the burning and help you heal faster" he said.

I removed my hand, and allowed him to remove my robe. He quickly rubbed this jelly stuff on my skin and then put my robe back on. He took off the towel that peeled off my skin when he did so. He put the jelly on my legs, and my arms. It still burned, but I wasn't afraid to move either.

I reached over and started eating the food he brought me. It didn't taste like anything, but it satisfied my hunger. My stomach didn't reject it either which was a plus.

A strange thing was sitting right beside him. He caught me gawking at it and smiled. "Oh, that's a CD player. Tell you what; I'll put in a CD for you.

He pushed a button and put in a round disc. He closed the little hatch and pressed another button. All of a sudden, a woman's voice started to sing. Something about her words and her voice was very familiar. I listened while he worked. After he finished, he turned the music off and left the cage.

"Let's keep this between us ok. I'll see you soon, and feel better" he said leaving me alone. I lay back down on the straw and stared at the bars. At least the worst was over. I don't think I'll have to go through that again. I turned onto my side, and sniffed the hay. It was much better than the concrete floor, and it smelled wonderful. Something about the smell just relaxed me and I couldn't figure it out. I closed my eyes once more, hoping that the worst was behind me.

O0O

One thing I was absolutely positive about. I can't stand straw. When my wounds finally started to heal, the itching was unbearable, and the straw added to the itching. The man named Mike, had to tie my arms behind my back so I wouldn't reopen my wounds. He came often and applied more of that aloe stuff. After the sixth time he came, my wounds were fully healed. I had no idea how many days it took but I assumed it was three because he said he was only scheduled to come see me twice a day.

When I was fully healed, I was able to keep all my food down, and I managed to brush my teeth, and wash myself down with a rag. One thing I noticed since I was burned, my hair on my arms and legs didn't grow back. It didn't bother me, but I didn't understand why it didn't come back.

Whenever Mike came, he always brought the CD player with him. Compared to the other guards and doctors, he was the nicest one.

I got up from a long rest and did my usual thing; I brushed my teeth, ate my food, and washed myself down with the wet rag. They gave me soap but I didn't use it because it burned. I heard someone say it had alcohol in it to prevent me from getting infections.

After I finished, I went back to the bed. Sometimes I paced, or stretched. One time I started climbing on the bars, but when I did they used the electric collar that was around my neck. I never did it again.

I sat on the horrible itchy straw and waited for Mike. He should be here soon. I heard the door open and sat up with excitement. My smile died when I saw the one they called Jack. He was the one that beat me before. He opened the cage, and fired a dart at me.

I caught it between my fingers and threw it. I leapt off the bed and went for him. I was going to rip his eyes out and then knee him in the chest. When he was down, I would make my escape.

Before I could hit him, he slapped me hard across the face. I fell to my knees, when his boot caught me on my side. He held me down and got on top of me.

"Bitch, you dare come at me like that. Well guess what, you're gonna fry today" he said spitting in my face. He ripped open my robe. I tried to push him off but he was much bigger than me. I started to scream and thrash.

"Jack! You know the rules. If you keep doing what your planning on doing, you'll get fired. She's a weapon, not a play thing" said a guy holding a tranquilizer gun.

He grunted and got off me. He kicked me hard three times, and smiled. The guy with the dart gun fired three darts into my thighs. The familiar numbness took over my body as I was tied onto that white bed again. Oh please no. They were dragging me back to that room.

My fears were correct when they brought me into that colorless room and put me directly under that machine. The helmet was placed over my face and the rotating machine started again.

My newly healed skin was ripping open. I closed my eyes and tried to hide. I didn't even scream.

When it was over they brought me back to my cage. This time I couldn't even crawl to the toilet. Mike held my hair while I threw up blood into a bucket. Blood oozed from my eyes, my ears, and my nose. This time, I thought I was really going to die. After about my tenth time puking, I finally passed out.

The next couple of days were spent in silence; not a single word came out of Mike's mouth. He applied the Aloe, and left. The last day that I saw him, he was caught by Jack. He was playing the music for me when Jack walked in. I never saw him again.

The next day, the one that came in to take care of me was a woman. She wasn't like Mike at all. She applied my medicine roughly, while Mike's hands were soft and gentle.

My wounds took less time to heal up this time, and my strength returned much faster. Then they came for me again, and again, and again.

Each time they came for me, we went back to that room. It was an ever lasting occurrence of pain, being sick, getting better, and then starting it from the beginning. I lost track after the fifteenth time.

Although the last time I went, I was only sick for an hour, and I healed up in less than four hours. Each time I went through the machine, I came back much stronger.

I've gotten used to Jack coming to get me for the machine. The first few times I put up a fight. I kicked, punched, clawed with my nails, bit, and spit. I never used my claws, because they were so sensitive. One time I managed to scratch him with my nails. He collapsed onto the ground and foam oozed out of his mouth. He lived, but didn't show for a good long while. I on the other hand was severely punished. They whipped me every day that he was ill. When he came back, he was even crueler than normal. Each time he beat me till I bled, or cracked my bones. He never used the dart gun first, only after. He always had a smile on his face when he hurt me. I really hated that man. Sometimes I wanted to kill him, but that would make me just like him. Plus I didn't want to give him the benefit of the doubt.

So when I saw him come into my enclosure, it wasn't a surprise. He stood in front of me, waiting for me to attack. I didn't move an inch. Instead of attacking, I figured that if I played by the rules I could spare some broken ribs. Throwing up with broken ribs was awful. But knowing him, he ran at me anyway.

"Don't tell me you went soft on me. Come on, hit me" he yelled slapping me in the face. My lip split and blood dribbled down my chin. I stood up, and faced him. The right side of his face had three long scars from where I hit him with my nails. He smelled of that horrible soap they gave me, and he was only slightly taller than me. If I wanted, I could easily kill him. But I wouldn't, I couldn't bring myself to do it. No matter what they did to me, they were never going to get me to stoop that low.

He knocked me back to the floor and grabbed me by my hair. He then smashed my face on the concrete floor. He bent down next to me, and I spit blood all in his face. He then slammed my face into the concrete until I heard a loud buzzing in my ears. When I couldn't feel my body I thought they shot me with the darts. When they tied me to the stretcher I realized they didn't use the tranquilizers. I tried to break free of the straps, but they were too tight. They pushed me through the tunnels that I've come to memorize, only this time, they took a different turn. Where were they taking me? I had a feeling that this was going to be worse than the machine.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

One… two…three. All I could do was stare at the lights on the ceiling as they pushed me through the hall. Four… five… six. Where were they taking me? A part of me wanted to go to the machine. That way I knew what was going to happen. But now, I was thrown back into the unknown, and it scared me.

The bed came to halt in front of a wide metal door. Professor Kinney was standing outside the door. He looked directly at me, and then nodded to Jack, and the other guards. The door must have needed a password, because he began typing one in. He punched in the numbers 2, 5, 7, and 9. I made a mental note to remember that password.

They pushed me through the door and into a large room. The door closed behind me, and that's when I started to panic.

In the middle of the room, was a giant tank filled with murky water. There were hundreds of tiny tubes with needles at the end of them. They were all facing the top of the tank, and were connected to another container. The other container was filled with some kind of silver goo, and it was bubbling.

I looked around and noticed that there were others in the room. Most of them had white coats on, but a couple of them were wearing jackets with weird button looking things on them.

Jack and the other guards left the room. The people in the white coats that put me under the machine were there.

Professor Kinney walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. He had a strange wired thing in front of his mouth, and he began to talk into it.

"Ladies, gentleman, investors, and secret society leaders; today I will demonstrate the making of a perfect weapon. X-23 was manufactured 17 years ago. She has undergone multiple language tutelage, advanced martial arts, environmental analysis training, and has tactical survival instincts. She has all the abilities of Weapon X, and more" he said. Who was this Weapon X, and why was he telling them all of this? One of the men wearing a jacket raised his hand.

"Yes, Lieutenant Stryker" he said. "Now I know you are aware of our failure with Weapon X. what I'm wondering is, what's going to keep her from disobeying orders and going berserk" he asked.

"I'm glad you asked that question Lieutenant. We keep a remote controlled collar on her neck. If she were to try and take it off it would remote detonate. Also, we are currently working on a project that will subjugate her into doing what we want her to do" he explained.

"Now, we will begin the procedure. Dr. Young, remove all of her clothing and her collar" he ordered.

The woman in the white coat came up to me holding a weird tool. She brought it up to my collar, and I felt the collar vibrate. She took my collar off, and then began to untie my robe. No! She can't! I struggled against my restraints as she pulled my robe off of me.

The cold air hit me, and I tried to turn on my side to hide from the eyes of the other people in the room. I wanted to cry and scream, but if I did, I would be punished. So I did the only thing I could do. I hid in the only place I've come to count on as my safe house. My mind.

Professor Kinney walked up to me and looked down at me. He placed a hand on my bear shoulder. Instead of pushing him off, I stared at the ceiling. I won't allow him to see my fear. I looked into his eyes for just a second. His pupils didn't look like they normally did. His eyes told me he was worried. Worried for me? What were they going to do to me?

My emotionless face broke its shield for just a moment. He looked down at me, and I knew that I had slipped and showed fear. Now I was his puppet. I showed weakness, and I was going to pay for it later.

His hand was still on my shoulder, so I used my hidden gift. I found out that by physically touching someone, I could read their thoughts, and dig into their memories. I've been practicing with Jack whenever he came for me. I looked into his memories, and cringed mentally.

There were others before me. Woman, Men, Kids. Some of them died shortly after they woke up. Their bodies couldn't handle the gene manipulation. Others died from the machine. The rest of them died from… the tank that was now in front of me. Pictures of previous weapons in the tank, with hundreds of needles in their bodies came to my mind. They thrashed, screamed, and then… they died.

I dug a little deeper until I reached his memories about me. I wasn't an experiment, or a clone. I had a life before all of this. I had all of my memories erased, and convinced I was an experiment. I was coming across a name when he pulled away from me.

I wasn't some experiment. I was a person, like them. Why did they do this to me? They're all going to pay for this. One way or another, I'm going to get them.

The new information I'd learned made me forget about my current situation. The others before me never made it out of that tank, and they were going to put me inside it!

Professor Kinney pushed me until I was next to the tank. They tied my legs and arms down to the table with multiple ropes. Then they put a metal rail over the middle of my body. They put that mold in my mouth again, and a weird mask was put over my mouth and nose. Air started to come out of the mask and it made me cough from the force of which it was coming out.

"X-23 is properly restrained so escape is impossible, and her breathing mask is in place. If she goes into respiratory distress her mask will forcibly blow air into her lungs, and exhale for her as well. Due to her strong metabolism, we will not be administering anesthesia. Now, Dr. Knight, lower her into the tank and begin infusion" he said.

A large claw descended towards me and grabbed the metal bar that was over my belly. The doctors unclipped my bed from the wheels and I was lifted into the air. I was now hovering over the tank. A doctor walked up some steps until she was level with me. She placed these white circular things on my chest and a loud beeping noise started to hum from some machine. I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I said over and over in my head. This was nothing compared to the machine. The beeping on the machine started to slow down, and I focused on breathing. See, I can do this.

Then I felt myself being lowered into the water. As the freezing cold green murky water hit my skin the beeping from the machine began to get very fast. That was when I lost my self control.

I put all my strength into breaking free. My entire body was shaking and if I wasn't underwater, tears would have been streaming down my cheek. I could feel my skin starting to burn from the ropes, and I was having a hard time breathing. I was starting to hyperventilate.

When I was fully entombed in the underwater prison, I looked up and that's when I saw the hundreds of needles. I started to scream but it was muffled from my mask and the water.

The robotic arms with the needles plunged into the water. My sight was blurry from the water but I could easily see Professor Kinney controlling the robotic needles from outside. The first place the needles entered me was my right arm. It felt like my arm was being slowly being sliced in half with a knife.

My left arm and legs were next. All of the needles bit into me at the same time. I arched my back in intense pain. Then another robotic arm pushed down on my abdomen to prevent me from moving. I thought all the needles were in until more were dug into my ribs, and up my neck. Then I felt more needles penetrate me underneath. When they hit my spine my whole lower half became numb. But my enhanced healing had me feeling the pain all around my body in less than a minute. I looked up at the top of the tank and saw that the arm was hovering directly over my head. I felt the burning sensation hit my skull and face. The pain was causing my muscles to tremble which I was trying not to move at all. One little twitch of a muscle brought on more pain. I waited for more needles and a whole minute went by and nothing happened. I gained control of my breathing, and that's when I realized all of the needles were over my bones.

All of my bones except… the sharp bones in my knuckles. The robotic arms went over to my hands. Each arm had a small knife. Before they could cut me open I brought my bones out on my own to save me more pain. The arms then stuck needles into my bones. My hands were now shaking uncontrollably from the pain.

I wanted to pull my bones back in, but something was pulling on them to prevent me from sheathing them.

All I could do was lay there and focus on my breathing. My throat was bone dry from the forced air coming out of my mask. I was trying to take in deep breaths quickly because there was so much air coming out.

Then a loud thundering noise erupted all around me. All of the needles in my body were attached to tiny yellow tubes. The water began to vibrate, causing the needles to move around. The friction caused me to start bleeding and the water started to turn a murky pink. I looked at the tubes and saw shiny liquid slowly making its way through the tubes. I watched it slowly inch its way to the needles that were connected to me.

And then it reached me. The hot burning liquid was pouring into my body. I didn't have time to scream or flinch. The moment it hit my bones, I knew I was dead. I was being liquefied from the inside. This flesh curling pain was one thousand, no, one million times worse than the machine. I would rather spend the rest of my existence under the machine then stay here for one second. I closed my eyes tightly and then I was thrown into blackness.

O0O

**Professor Kinney POV:**

X-23 was surprisingly handling the beginning of the experiment well. Especially since she was being paraded around completely naked and hovering over a tank with needles. Her breathing was normal as was her heart rate, which was good in her case. Only three weapons made it up to this point. They all died immediately when the liquefied metal reached their bones.

But when they lowered her into the tank, her heart rate was very high, and it had the other doctors nervous. When she was completely submerged we waited a minute to give her a chance to relax. This time around, we were going to take things a bit slower. We've wasted over 10 billion over this program. From growing clones, genetically modifying mutants, exposure treatments, training, and the failed adamantium infusion. Adamantium wasn't exactly a metal in over production. X-23 was my last chance.

After she calmed down a bit, I reassured my guests and began inserting the needles into her skeletal structure with my controls. Each time I added the needles her heart rate went up. It took a good half hour to get all the needles in place. Her spinal cord was relatively hard, and I had a neurosurgeon assist me with that part. Her muscles were spasming, and her eye lids were flickering as well. She was on the verge of fainting but she was still with us for the time being.

Amazingly she brought out her knuckle phalanges out on her own. She must have known we were going to cut her open and pull them out. Smart girl, she wanted to save herself some pain.

"Professor we're ready when you are" said one of the doctors. I took a deep breath, and pushed the button. The metal began to drain into the tubes and onto her skeletal structure. Unlike the Adamantium Wolverine has, hers is slightly different. This metal was heated differently and other ingredients were added to make the metal lighter.

After Logan went through the Weapon X program he weighed 265 pounds compared to his 195 pound body before he had the Adamantium.

X-23 weighs 102 pounds now, and her expected weight after the procedure will be 115 pounds. This will allow her to be faster, and more agile. All the right ingredients for a skilled assassin.

I was too busy thinking about all the money I was going to receive when she was purchased; I completely forgot about her procedure. When the doctors started to run around that's when I noticed her convulsing body.

The infusion process was almost finished. It only takes 90 seconds. The previous experiments lasted much longer, and she was already convulsing. When her bones were covered in the metal, we dumped ice cubes into the water to make the metal cool quicker.

Then my worst fears came alive. The heart monitor began to sound the alarms. She was in cardiac arrest. I looked at her and saw her chest rising up and down, but it was from the mask she was wearing. I pulled the needles out of her using the robotic arms, and began to reel her out of the tank as fast as I could.

When she was placed back on the stretcher the doctors dried her off with a towel. They were about to shock her when I motioned for them to stop.

We were all looking at the cardiograph machine. A tiny little beep ignited the bone chilling silence in the room. Then another beep, and another. I looked down at her and noticed all the holes from the needles begin to close up.

I looked at her newly formed blades and motioned for them to start working on them. The metal was still shapeable. When the doctors were done, three of the sharpest, unbreakable blades were ready to cut down anything in their path.

One of the doctors put her robe back on to cover her up. Her breathing mask was removed, and replaced with a simple oxygen mask. Then her brilliant amethyst eyes opened slightly and they looked directly at me. Her knives then glided their way back into her knuckles and she closed her eyes once more. I couldn't stop the glorious smile that was spreading across my face.

"Ladies and gentleman, I give you the success of Weapon X-23" there was a thunderous eruption of applause. Good, so we would continue to get sponsors. After we tested her in simulations and showed her off to the investors she will be put up for sale. But before all of that, I will have to break her, and then polish her up for her future employer. This was just the first step, and I've found myself in unfamiliar territory. Other than Wolverine, she is the only one to survive this procedure.

However, the first thing is that she has earned herself a good rest. After she is fully recovered, the fun really begins. She will be under my control in no time.

"Doctor Tan, put her collar back on, and escort her to the hospital wing. Observe everything, and let me know when we will be able to begin" I ordered. As they wheeled her out of the facility, I made my way to over to the investors to drink some congratulatory champagne.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I was in a dark room. A room that smelled… like death. Quite cries were echoing all around me. I turned around, and saw a little girl sitting on the ground faced away from me. Her long ebony hair was just barley touching the ground where she sat. I started to walk towards her, that's when I saw the blood.

She was sitting in a pool of blood and crying. I edged closer to her. Then I saw a pair of legs. I looked past the little girl and gasped when I saw a woman. She had long brown hair, and she was absolutely beautiful. Her face was pale, and her body was too still. That's when I saw the small hole on her delicate body. The little girl was holding the woman's hand, which was covered in blood.

I kneeled down beside her and pushed her silky smooth hair behind her ears. She looked up at me. Bright amethyst eyes met my own. The similarity caused me to fall back and scoot away from her. She stood up and looked down on me.

"You promised" she said. I stood up and ran away from the scene in front of me. When I looked back, the little girl and the dead woman were gone. Instead, a large mirror was right in front of me. I looked at myself in wonder. I wasn't wearing my daily robe, but instead tight black pants and a black shirt with straps. My hair was neatly brushed and my skin was a smooth golden color compared to my pale skin. I turned my body to get a better look in the mirror. I stopped turning when I saw a small black paw print on my upper left shoulder blade. There was something written beneath it but I couldn't read it in the mirror.

I stared at my face, and noticed that tears were streaming down my cheeks. In my left hand I was holding a kunai. Then a tall figure appeared behind me. He was standing directly behind me and he towered over me. His black hair was shaved short and he had a hand placed on my shoulder. He opened his eyes and glared at me with the same purple eyes once again. He leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"You failed. Now it's time to fulfill your destiny". My reflection shook my head, and the mysterious man flashed a pair of sharp canines. He took a few steps back and disappeared. I returned my gaze back to the mirror and cried out in fear. My arms and face were covered in blood. I backed away from the mirror only to trip and fall down. It was the dead woman from before. I stood up in a panic looked around for the little girl. I felt a tug on my shirt and froze. It was the little girl.

"This is all your fault" she said. No, I'm not a killer. I didn't do this. I didn't kill this little girl's mother. I grabbed my head in a panic and began to scream.

O0O

I woke up screaming and covered in sweat. Where was I? Am I dead? The last thing I remember was hundreds of needles in my body and then that liquid was melting me from the inside out.

I sat up and realized I was back in my cell. Only I wasn't alone. A young girl was sitting as far away from me as possible. She was hunched in a corner and staring at me in fear. She was small, possibly a child, and she had long wavy brown hair, with big brown eyes.

I pulled the straw out of my hair and stood up slowly. The moment I straightened up, I knew something was wrong. I lifted my right arm and noticed that my muscles had to strain slightly. I took a step forward, and wobbled a bit. My hand flew up to my throat and noticed that the shock collar wasn't fastened around my neck.

Ignoring the girl I went over to the sink to brush my teeth and I used the cold wash cloth to wash the sweat off of my skin. I looked back over at the girl and was met with her warm brown eyes. I looked her over and noticed that she had burns on her wrists. Instead of the robe that I wore, she had on brown scrubs that the doctors wore here. I took in her scent and could distinctly smell the salt that had dried up. She must have been crying.

I just stared down at her not knowing what to do. What was I supposed to say to her? I didn't have any experience with communication or children. I rubbed my sore knuckles, and cracked my bones. It didn't relieve the burning at all.

What was wrong with my hands? Sure they felt sore before because of my extra bones. Whenever I brought them out the burning seemed to decrease. In other words, I needed to stretch them. Prepared for the searing pain, I willed my extra bones out through my knuckles.

Before I could react to what came out, a loud scream erupted from in front of me. Her eyes weren't the only ones staring in fear. Instead of six small bones coming out; sharp silver knives came out in their place.

I immediately sheathed them to stop the young girl from screaming. The image of the tank and the needles came to my mind. If there was metal in my hands, was there metal on the rest of my bones. I knelt down next to the girl which made her cringe.

"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you" I said to her. Fresh new tears were streaming down her face as she looked into my eyes.

"Who are you" I asked her. She swallowed hard and continued to cower under me. Feeling anxious, I put my hand on her shoulder to sooth her. At least that's what I wanted her to think. I focused and looked into her mind. Her name was Emma Roberts, and she was 14 years old. She was a runaway, and when she was sleeping in a church she was taken. She didn't know where she was or why she was here. I pulled away and went back over to my pile of scratchy hay.

Emma looked at me confused, and was about to say something when I heard the loud thud of the door closing. Emma stood up and backed away from the cage door. I couldn't help my heart from thudding in my chest. What if they were going to put me back in the tank with the needles? I was able to get used to the machine, but I couldn't survive another round of the tank.

When I saw professor Kinney approaching my cell, my heart rate went down a little. If Jack wasn't coming for me, that was usually good news.

"Good morning X-23, I'm glad that you are awake now. Have you met your new little friend? I hope you two become good friends" he said smiling in Emma's direction. The girl looked back at me and hugged her arms to her chest. I stood up from my bed and walked over to where the professor was. He instinctly backed away for his own safety. I was able to put distance between him and Emma and that's all that mattered.

"Now, today you will be training with a sword master, and if you perform adequately you will receive dinner. But first, I'm going to need you to stick your arm through the bars" he said. A doctor came in holding a needle. My heart began to race, and I could feel the sweat breaking out on my forehead. My chest felt like it had a rope tied around it. My legs began to shake under my weight, and soon all feeling from my waist down was gone. My ears began to ring, and I felt sick to my stomach. Then all of a sudden I was lying on the ground.

When I opened my eyes, Emma was sitting down next to me, and her hand was gently pressed on my clammy forehead.

I heard the sound of the cage door opening, and before I could shield her Emma was grabbed and pulled away from me. The doctor with the needle injected the syringe into my arm. I threw him off of me and lunged for him with my claws out. I grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. Now that I didn't have the collar on they couldn't do a thing to stop me. Before I could take the doctor hostage I heard Emma's familiar scream. I spun around and saw that Jack was holding her around the waist and had a knife to her throat.

"Let him go, or I'll carve up her pretty little face" Jack said gliding the knife across her cheek. I threw down the doctor, who was now crying. He scrambled to his feet and ran for the exit. I pulled my claws back in and glared at Jack. I focused on my gaze, and I started to walk towards him. He continued to stare into my eyes, and his muscles in his face began to relax.

"Let the girl go" I commanded. Jack did as he was told and released Emma. She let out a cry and ran over to me. She ducked behind me and gripped the back of my robe. Every part of me wanted to kill Jack. This evil death worshipping garbage beat me within an inch of my life numerous times. I didn't even have to dirty my hands. I could easily give him the command to end his own life. But no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't do it. I let the connection go, and looked back at Emma. The girl was frozen with fear.

Jack snapped out of it and when he looked at me and saw that I didn't have the collar, he backed out of the cage slowly and when he was out he ran. He must have remembered the last time I scratched him with my nails.

I was about to ask Emma if she was hurt when something jabbed me in my side and an electrical shock enveloped my entire body. I fell to the floor and started to convulse from the shocks still going through my body.

Emma was by my side and she wrapped her arms around me and tried to pull me up. Professor Kinney slapped her across the face knocking her down. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her hard against the bars. The impact knocked her unconscious and she fell to the floor once more. I tried to stand on my feet but I was still weak from the shock, and before I could stand, the electrical rode was pointed directly at my face by the professor.

"Your behavior has been most disappointing X-23. Because of your outburst, you will be severely punished. Starting with this girl" he said walking over to Emma with a knife.

"No! If you touch her, I'll do nothing you ask of me. I don't care what you do to me" I yelled at him. He walked back over to me holding the prod and laughed.

"Excellent. As long as you do what we tell you to do, the girl will remain untouched. However, this outburst cannot be over looked" he said grinning at her.

"Jack, carry out her punishment" he ordered. Jack came back into the enclosure and he wasn't empty-handed. He had a long black whip in his hands.

The professor pushed me into the bars and handcuffed my hands to the bars. He patted me on the head and left the cage.

"Jack no more than 25 lashings. I still need her to participate in today's sessions" he said. He left me alone with Jack and left the room. I could feel Jack standing behind me.

"You're going to regret what you did to me bitch." He grabbed onto my robes string and yanked it off making my robe open slightly. I turned to look at him and when my eyes met his he punched me in the face.

"Don't think for a second that I'll fall for that again" he spit on me. I looked at his hand and noticed he still had the knife. He plunged the knife deep into my upper shoulder. I screamed and fought back the urge to vomit from the pain. Tears rolled down my cheeks involuntary. Jack dug his fingers into my cheeks and turned my face to meet his.

"What's this? You know the rule about crying. Now I was just going to stab you once and then cut your robe off nicely. But now I'm going to have to make that experience a little more painful" he said.

He grabbed the knife that was still in my shoulder and dragged it across to my other shoulder. I bit down on my lip so hard that blood started to run down my chin. He then slashed at the arms of my robe cutting my upper arms and back. He stabbed me again, and dragged the blade all the way down to my lower waist. I blacked out for a few seconds as he dragged the blade through my muscle fibers.

When I came to, my robe was hanging off my body in threads. Jack grabbed a hold of the bloody fabric and ripped the remaining garment off and threw it to the ground. I stood in front of him cut up and completely naked. He touched my bare skin and sighed.

"Unbelievable. Not a single hair on your body. Too bad you're company property or I'd have my way with you whore. I guess I'll just have to play with your little friend over there" he said licking my blood off the knife. This man was crazy, and we were left alone with him. I could feel my wounds beginning to heal, as Jack clipped the knife to his hip. I was too worried about Emma to think about the pain I was in. I needed to keep Jack's attention on me and not her. She was only a child and couldn't defend herself. She didn't heal like I did. He was looking over her way and I decided I needed to act. Repeating his favorite word, I spoke up.

"Is that all you have bitch" I spat at him. He stopped dead in his tracks, and his attention was back on me. He walked over to me and slammed my forehead against the bars. My skin split open but my skull remained unharmed. He brought his knee up and slammed me hard in the ribs. Instead of my ribs cracking like usual, he hollered in pain and grasped his knee, while I stood unharmed from the blow.

"You are so pathetic" I said sneering at him. He punched me in the face once more, and then elbowed me in the stomach. Blood spurted out of my mouth, which I spit in his face. He could do whatever he wanted to me. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of breaking down.

He smirked at me and then went and stood behind me. I heard the crack of the whip and then something was burning my back. My knees buckled from the impact, but I soon regained myself. With each crack of the whip, blood flew in different directions from my cut up back. I lost count how many lashes he delivered because I kept going in and out of consciousness.

When the whipping finally stopped, I didn't notice. My back was so numb that I didn't even feel a shirt being pulled over my head. I was no longer handcuffed to the bars, and someone was dressing me. When I was fully awake, Jack had put a black long sleeved shirt on me and loose black pants. He pointed the electric prod at me and ordered me to walk.

I walked out of the cage, barley aware of what was going on, and looked back to see Emma still out cold on the hard concrete.

"Do as I say bitch or I'll fuck that little girl in their before I gut her" he said pushing me along the halls she'd come to know.

When they entered a large arena, I weakly looked around. There were weapons everywhere. Lasers, guns, swords, knives, bows, and then there was a gymnast area with beams and loops. What was all of this doing here?

Jack kicked the back of my legs forcing me to fall to the ground. My back muscles were spasming and my shirt was soaked with blood. My wounds were healing up but I'd lost too much blood, and every inch of my body ached.

Jack left me on the ground alone. I was about to make a run for it when I looked up and saw a man dressed in all black. He had a sword on his back and multiple other weapons at his hip. He was shorter than her, and his eyes were squinty.

"You will address me as sensei, and you will do exactly what I say. If you do not follow my orders, I will be forced to report your behaviors to professor Kinney who will then punish you as he sees fit. And you will only speak if asked a question. Do you understand" he said loudly in Japanese.

"Yes sensei" I answered him weakly. He ran up at me and slapped me hard in the face, and slammed his foot down on my wounded back. For the second time today I fought back the verge to vomit.

"You will speak only Japanese when with me. Do you understand filth" he yelled; spit flying from his mouth.

"Hai sensei" I yelled back in the same frequency he used. For the next couple hours, I sparred against him with swords and kunai. He beat me easily in my condition, but once I healed I easily gained the upper hand.

After I beat him, I was forced to train with another teacher. She was in charge of the gymnastics section of the arena and we spent another hour working on balance and flips. After her, I was put in a room with lasers and guns which forced me to dodge and take out the guns with my claws. When I swiped at the machinery, the metal was easily cut to pieces. After what seemed like hours, I finally collapsed from exhaustion.

When I opened my eyes, I was being wheeled back to my cell on the bed that brought me to the machine only this time I wasn't tied up. I could have easily attacked them, but if I did they would kill Emma.

Emma was awake when they dumped me onto the hard cement and locked me inside once more. My body was battered and bruised from head to toe. I was still light headed from the blood loss which is probably why I hadn't healed up completely.

Emma wrapped my arm over her shoulder and helped me over to the straw bed. When I was lying down, she came over with a wet rag and wiped at my healing wounds. The cold water burned but at least my sweat was being wiped out of the tender flesh.

"Thank you for saving me" she said placing another rag on my forehead. She smiled at me and handed me a glass of water. I drank it down trying to ease my dry throat.

"My name is Emma, what's yours" she asked me. I looked around the dark room making sure no one was around to hear me speak. I don't think I could bare another punishment today.

"I don't have a name" I told her. Her smile faded as she rinsed the bloody rag off in the bucket. "Why are you here" she asked. I didn't know how to answer her question, but I answered her anyway.

"They told me I was an experiment, but I recently found out that I was captured and brought here. They erased all of my memories" I said to her. "Why didn't they erase my memories" she asked me.

"I do not know" I answered her. That was a good question. Why did they want a little girl with no special abilities? They didn't seem to need her for anything.

"What are you" the girl asked. I sighed not knowing how to explain. "I know that I am a mutant, but I don't know where I come from, or if I have a family" I explained. Emma nodded, and a single tear glided down her cheek.

"Why did you run away" I asked her. She looked up in shock. "How did you know that I ran away" she asked.

"I looked into your memories earlier but I wasn't able to get the full story. I'm not very experienced with that part of my abilities" I explained taking another drink of water.

"My mom killed herself and my dad didn't want me anymore" she said sniffling. I stared at the little girl in front of me and wondered why this world was so cruel. I pulled her into me and rested her head on my chest.

"I'm going to get us out of here one way or another" I told her. "Do you promise" Emma asked me. I didn't know what a promise was but the word rang in the back of my head. I saw the little girl once more from my dream with eyes like mine saying the same exact word.

"I promise" I said. The foreign word rolled off my lips and I felt a certain duty to it. I would get this girl away from this place, and I would find out who I was and where I came from.

I looked at the bars of my cage and thought of the machines that were easily cut to pieces from my claws. I brought them out and lashed at the bars next to my bed as an experiment. Nothing happened. They must be the same metal that now coats my skeleton. I let out an annoyed sigh as I sheathed my claws. Emma looked at me hand in wonderment.

"Does it hurt when they come out?" she asked me. "Every time" I answered her. She looked up at me and pushed my hair out of my eyes.

"Your eyes are really pretty. I've never seen purple eyes before" she said lying her head back down on my chest. I smiled and pulled her in close. Even though I was still soar, I could feel myself slipping away from today's events. I was going to need rest if I was going to survive and get us out of here. With the little girl in my arms, I drifted off to sleep with the same words repeating over and over in my head. I promise.


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4**

_Everything was going as planned,_ thought Professor Kinney. X-23 had already become very protective over the young girl just as I wanted her to. The girl was carefully selected through hundreds of candidates, not because of a special ability, but because of her past. The girl that X-23 looked after in her previous life had a similar past. Thus making it psychologically impossible for her to turn away this girl. Now we can control X-23 by using the girl against her. X-23's training has gone just the way I wanted it to. She will now be put through the ultimate test to see if we can indeed control her, and then she will begin her purpose in life.

O0O

I woke up to a pile of brown hair in my face. Emma was fast asleep and clutching my arm and holding it to her chest. She had been having nightmares all night. I sat up and pulled the loose pieces of straw out from under my robe. My skin was beginning to get raw from the itchy straw. Whenever I washed myself with the rag, it burned.

I looked at the floor and counted the scratch marks I had made with my claws. Emma has been with me in this cell for over 90 sleep cycles. I had no idea when the day ended or when it began because I've never been outside.

My training with my instructors has also become much easier. I surpassed all of them, including my sensei. That wasn't the only thing I excelled at. My other abilities that I've managed to keep secret have also become much stronger.

About 40 sleep cycles ago, I lashed out at Jack who tried to force me underneath him again. After that I waited for my punishment, but never received it. I thought I got away with it, but it wasn't for a couple of days until I realized what it was. Jack stopped bringing Emma and me food. Emma became so sick, and she was awake night after night with awful stomach pains. I too became sick and I lost a lot of the weight I managed to put on. I thought for sure Emma was going to die.

On the fifth day when Jack came to eat in front of us, I focused all of my energy into my eyes. I was able to manipulate him into giving us his food which wasn't very much. I gave it all to Emma despite her pleas of trying to give me the food. I had to wait another two days before we were given some measly scraps. After that, going without food for two, three days at a time became a ritual, and I watched as Emma got sicker and sicker. She was skin and bones, and her eyes were gaunt and her skin pale. That was when I decided the time to escape was now, or she was going to die.

For the past 30 sleep cycles, I've been slowly cutting a hole in the concrete underneath the bars. The bars were deep into the ground, and it took a great deal of time to slowly dig out with my claws. When I wasn't digging, I covered up the hole with the straw. The camera that watched the cage, turned every minute. That left me exactly fifteen seconds to dig when I was given a small window of time where my dig spot was out of sight. Plus in order to refrain from suspicion, I had to keep taking breaks and walk around or pretend to do something other than spending all my time by the dig spot.

Emma was keeping watch for me but these last few sleep cycles have forced me to lookout for myself. She could barley move and when she did sleep, she screamed. I haven't slept in almost ten cycles due to digging, caring for Emma, and training. I have to act fully rested or the professor will become suspicious. But today was different.

I slept a full eight hours in order to build up my strength for the escape. I didn't know where I was or if there was even a place to go and hide after we got out. This plan could go one of two ways.

After the guards left, I waited a few minutes to make sure we were alone. I picked up a sharp piece of the concrete I had cut out. I sharpened it with my claws until it looked like a small dagger. I waited for the camera to point in the other direction and I took aim. Using my pointer finger and my thumb; I flicked the dagger with perfect precision and cut the two wires that connected the camera to the wall. It stopped turning, and froze pointing away from the cell.

There was no time to waste. I had precisely ten minutes before someone got down here, three and a half if they sprinted. This past couple of cycles, I memorized how long it took to get here from different parts of the facility.

I rolled Emma over and threw the hay out of the way. I wiggled my way through the little passage way and pulled myself free. The moment I got out, I felt my heart rate go up, expecting a painful shock of electricity. When it didn't come, I couldn't help but smile for the first time out of sheer happiness.

I reached in through the hole and grabbed Emma's boney shoulders and dragged her through. She whimpered in pain, which caused me to draw blood from biting my tongue.

After I got her through I scrambled her onto my back and took off sprinting. When I got into the hall way, I could already hear the running footsteps of the guards. I sniffed the air and immediately knew Jack was leading the other guards. I counted six from the three different pairs of echoes.

I couldn't run back the other way because it was a dead end. I looked up and counted eight lights. I knew that after the fifth light there was an air vent.

"Emma, I need you to wrap your legs around me, and hold onto my neck as tight as you can" I ordered her. She weakly mumbled and did as I told her to.

I extracted my claws and plunged them deep into the concrete wall. I did the same with my other hand and pulled Emma and myself up. My hands ached from the weight and my arms shook under the pressure. I gritted my teeth and started climbing. When I reached the top I pulled my arm free and dangled on just my one arm. A loud painful pop caused me to cry out in pain, but it was muffled due to Emma's hand that was clasped over my mouth.

"You can do it" she whispered in my ear. I nodded; ignoring the pain I slashed the vent hatch until I made a big enough hole. Emma grabbed onto the ledge and hoisted herself up with my help. Once she was in, she grabbed onto my arm and helped me up. I lay down in the vent shaft cradling my shoulder. It was no longer in its socket.

"Emma, I need you to push on my shoulder until you hear it pop" I told her. She did as she was told and pushed with all her strength. As my shoulder went back into place, I heard the guards run past directly beneath us. In less than a minute, our escape was going to be known.

0o0

With Emma behind me, we began crawling down the ventilation shafts. Loud sirens were going off and echoing off the vent walls. My ears were ringing, and I could barely hear anything else due to the loud sirens, so I had to rely on my other senses.

When we reached the end of the tunnel, I opened another hatch and stuck my head out to see if anyone was coming. I couldn't hear anything except the sirens so I sniffed the air. No one was near us.

I lowered Emma to the ground and jumped down after her. I grabbed her and hoisted her up on my back once more and began running. The network of tunnels I came to memorize became more and more foreign to me. This was the part I was worried about. I was going to have to guess my way out.

"Turn left, this is the way I came through when they first brought me here. There's an interrogation room down there and across from it I remember seeing an exit sign" Emma said. I nodded and took off in the direction she pointed me in. When I rounded the corner I caught the immediate scent of a guard. I let go of Emma and dropped her on the ground. She cried from the impact, and scurried to a wall.

The guard had an electrical prod in his hand, and came at me baring his teeth. I easily dodged the attack and gripped the handle and pulled it out of his grasp. I turned the weapon around and jabbed it at his side. He collapsed onto the ground convulsing. I picked him up by his shirt and looked him dead in the eyes. Using my ability, I searched his memories. There was indeed an exit across from the interrogation room.

_"When you get up, tell the others I am in the ventilation shafts above my cell"_ I said into his mind. He nodded in a daze and I threw him back to the ground. He stood up and took off running in the opposite direction. Before we could start running again, I heard more running guards coming down the hall. Emma's face turned upside down in panic and began looking for a way out. I stayed calm and reached for a second rock I had been storing behind my ear. I pulled it out and aimed for a light on the ceiling. It went out when the rock hit the bulb. I did the same with two other lights, leaving a small portion of the hall way completely dark. I grabbed Emma and pushed her down into the corner of the hall way. I turned my robe inside out so that the dirty side was on the outside. I spent the last couple of cycles rubbing it on the dirty floor to darken the bright white cloth.

I hovered over her and waited for the approaching guards. One by one they ran past us without even noticing we were there. When the coast was clear, I pulled Emma back to her feet and sniffed the air for more guards. I looked at Emma who had tears streaming down her cheeks. I smiled at her and reached for her hand.

"Come little bird, we are almost out" I said to her. She wiped her tears and grasped my hand. I pulled her to her feet and led her down the rest of the tunnel.

O0O

The sign above the door that said EXIT was the best thing I had ever seen. Emma and I looked at one another and smiled.

"You first" I said pointing to the door. She smiled showing all of her teeth and grasped the door handle. She turned the silver knob and pushed it open. A bright brilliant light engulfed the entire area, causing me to squint my eyes. A sudden warmth spread over me and seemed to swallow me whole. Hundreds of scents hit me all the same time making my eyes water. My cold bones suddenly felt warm. The sudden temperature change made small bumps raise on my arms and legs. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Emma took a step forward, but stopped in her tracks before she could make it all the way out. When I widened my eyes, a gun was being held up against Emma's throat. The one yielding the blade was Jack.

"Well done X-23. You almost made it out" he said grinning. I swallowed and just stared at Jack who had Emma in a deadlock. Her knees were shaking, and she was whimpering.

"How about the three of us play a little game" he said petting the top of Emma's hair. I had a feeling that the only one who was going to enjoy this game was Jack.

O0O

Jack closed the door to the wonders of the outside world and forced us into the interrogation room. When he flipped the light, I noticed that we weren't the only three in the room. Professor Kinney was sitting down at a desk with his clip board. He began to clap.

"Well done X-23. You have proved to be an excellent strategist. You passed the first part of your test" he said writing something down on a sheet of paper.

Emma let put another whimper and Jack shushed her while rubbing the side of her face. he had a murderous look in his eyes. I glared at Jack and for a moment I had the sudden notion to force him to put the gun in his mouth and pull the trigger. It would be as easy as blinking.

"What do you mean test" I sneered at professor Kinney. Jack pulled out a knife and dragged it across Emma's pale skin.

"You talk one more time, and the bitch dies" Jack said licking her ear lobe. Without thinking, the blades in my knuckles came out, and a deep loud growl escaped my mouth.

"Now Jack it's alright. X-23 deserves an explanation. After all she will have to communicate with her future employer" he said grinning. He stood up from the desk and walked up to me. This was the closest he's been to me, and also the most vulnerable. Lucky for him I didn't kill.

"Do you really think it would be that easy to escape from us" he chuckled. He paced as he talked, and his gaze never left my eyes.

"We purposely allowed the girl to see where the exit was. Why do you think we didn't put a bag over her head? And do you think we stopped feeding you because you were bad. We need you to be in top physical condition; so why would we do it" he asked stopping in front of me. He motioned with his hand for me to answer. It didn't take long for me to figure it out. How could I have been so stupid?

"You wanted to give me a motive to escape" I answered him. He nodded, and clapped once more. I got the notion that he wasn't clapping because he was proud.

"We purposely didn't have the Adamantium bars go more than a foot into the ground. We wanted you to dig your way out" he said. He leaned in close, our noses almost touching.

"You thought you were so much smarter than me. I will _always_ be one step ahead of you my dear" he said slapping my cheek delicately. It didn't hurt, but the anger inside of me was reaching its boiling point.

"Even though you proved how bleak you are, you still managed to make it to the finish line, and that makes me positive that you will also pass phase two" he said nodding at Jack who in turn grinned like the sadist he was.

The professor said something into a little device on his shirt, and the door to the interrogation room opened. Another guard walked in and he wasn't alone. An older man that I have never seen before was handcuffed, and had a gag in his mouth. His face was covered with bruises, and he was covered in filth.

"This man here was ordered to be executed in another country. I had him tracked down and captured for the honorary purpose of aiding you in your test" he said proudly.

"Now, your job is simple. I want you to complete your first contract of your career. Your orders are to kill this man" he said. His tone was completely serious. He wanted me to do the very thing I swore I would _never_ do. Well he could torture me all he wanted; he couldn't do a single thing to me to make me kill. When I didn't move, he let out an annoyed sigh.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you the benefits of completing the contract. If your mission is successful, I will let your little friend here live. If not, well…" he said signaling to Jack. Jack pressed the knife up to Emma's cheek and pressed hard enough for blood to ooze out.

"**NO! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER"** I screamed. Using my abilities, I bore my gaze into Jack's like I've never done before. I wanted to strike fear into his heart, and from the look on his face, I succeeded. He dropped both the gun and the knife and ran out of the room in a panic. The professor's smile faded and turned to fear. He must have realized that he was no longer protected from me. I turned to him and unsheathed my blades.

"I will never kill, never. There is nothing you can do. I have the upper advantage here" I said getting ready to use my mind control method. Still keeping my eye contact with the professor, I reached my arm out to Emma. But a loud bang caused me to lose my contact. I looked back at Emma, and saw a small red stain beginning to stain her robe on her chest. The stain began to grow, and the strong smell of iron began to fill the room. Blood.

"X" Emma mumbled before falling to the floor. Jack stood behind her, with a pistol pointed in my direction.

"You were warned bitch" he grinned. I dropped to the ground and pulled Emma into my arms. She looked up at me with watery eyes and placed a hand on my cheek.

"Don't let them break you. You will be free" she said before her beautiful brown eyes glazed over. She let out one final breath, and stared at me without seeing. It was then that I broke the number one rule.

Tears came out in waves as I screamed and rocked Emma's body back and forth. I pulled her into the crook of my neck as if it would bring her back.

"I promised. I promised" I said over and over through muffled eyes. My body began to shake, and I had the sudden urge to vomit. Only this time it wasn't because of the machine, or too much training. My chest felt heavy, and the lump in my throat drove me to keep screaming.

I barely noticed the tranquilizer dart that was shot in my neck. It took six guards to pull me away from Emma's lifeless body. The last thing I remember was professor Kinney throwing his paper work, pushing the desk over, shooting the gagged man, and saying the same word over and over. _Failure. _

O0O

**Five Years Later**

I stared at my favorite mark in the floor that I stared at every day. The odd shape could turn into anything I wanted to see if I focused hard enough. The problem was, was that I couldn't see anything anymore. All I saw was an imperfect mark on the floor. At least I shared common ground with something.

I shifted my weight so that the other half of my bony hip could have a break. The Adamantium floor was really doing a number on my joints, not that they didn't hurt from the same metal that coated my bones. Normally I would have sighed out of boredom, but the sound of my own voice made me sick to my stomach. After all, I hadn't heard it since it happened. I shuddered from the memory and rolled over once more. I was too weak to sit up. I hadn't eaten anything in four days, and I didn't expect anything until another three when they brought the needles. Ever since I was declared a failure, I was thrown into a much smaller pen, with no hay, and a much, _much_ harder surface. There was no digging out of here this time.

My training sessions stopped completely, and the only interaction I received was my daily torture sessions from Jack, my weakly meal, and injections. I was no longer their precious weapon, but a failure, a broken weapon that couldn't kill, a thing used to test new drugs on. And the thing was, I didn't disagree with them. I am a failure, someone who couldn't protect the one person I was responsible for. With all of my abilities, I did nothing to stop that single moment of time from happening. Things weren't the same after that. I lost the desire for sleeping, eating, bathing, and dreaming. I didn't even fight back Jack's boastful punishments. All I cared about was dying.

Not that the others hadn't tried. Jack snapped my neck, shot me, and once I tried to end my life by diving under a pile driver the day they took me out for other tests. All that came of it was having to endure the painful healing. That was also the day I found out I liked the pain. After that, the only cutting I used my blades for, was on myself. My robe that was once white was now covered in filth, and blood.

My only hope was that my body would fail on its own soon. I was skin and bones, and barley had enough energy to lift my own head up. Perhaps, this was the only true way to die.

I closed my dull eyes, hoping that this was the last time I would have to stare at the mark, which was worth so much more than my pathetic existence.

O0O

"Elf, what did I tell you about teleporting in the jet! It stinks in here" Logan yelled from the steering wheel. The blue devil was trying to scare Kitty when she least expected him. The only problem was that the smoke he made smelled like rotten eggs and the X-jet was only so big.

"Sorry Logan, I wouldn't want to wake the beast" he joked. Logan growled and glared at the blue fuzz ball. Scott peered over from his control seat and pointed for him to strap himself in. Sometimes Logan wished he could command the others like slim. Perhaps he just didn't care enough unlike Mr. Military.

"Like, thanks a lot Scott. I was totally getting sick of Kurt" Kitty said crossing her arms. "Hey, chicks dig the fuzzy dude" Kurt said leaning in towards Kitty with his lips smacking.

"As if" kitty said swatting him away. Logan let out an annoyed sigh; he would get stuck with two annoying kids. When he got word that Stryker and his gang were conveying with scientists on a remote island, he made it his business to find out what he was up to. After all, he owed him a little heart to heart after he pumped him full of adamantium. The bastard was in for a big surprise.

"Landing gear ready" slim announced over the intercom. "Cyclops, it's just the four of us, and we can hear you without blowing our ears out on that damn thing" Logan snarled. Scott ignored him and did a 360 degree turn before landing just to piss him off. He knew Logan hated flying.

When they exited the jet, they wasted no time in scoping the place out. It wasn't very big, about the size of a football field. Before Scott could give word, elf disappeared and did his thing. Kitty followed him and ran right through the wall. So much for a surprise.

"Logan, you go ahead, I have your back" Cyclops said placing a hand on his visor. Logan nodded and tried to turn the knob on a door. It was obviously locked. He was just feeling lazy and thought he'd try the easy way. Gritting through the pain, he used his claws and cut out a triangle through the door.

They were met with a bunch of tunnels that were lit by off colored lights making it dark. At least, for people who didn't have the same vision as him. When he was wearing his uniform, he wasn't Logan, the man who didn't have a clue who he was. He was the Wolverine, the savage animal that didn't let anything get in his way.

He ran ahead of Cyclops using his nose to sniff out the bastard who did this to him. Within seconds the alarms were going off. God damn Nightcrawler, he was going to spend an extra two hours in the danger room for this.

They came to a fork in the hall and Logan sniffed the stale air. That's when he noticed the strange smell of… he couldn't put a name to it. But one thing was for sure, it was mixed in with blood. Logan took a right and continued to run down the hall.

The farther down the hall they went the more the scent of blood became intoxicating. They reached the end of the tunnel, and a large double door stood right in front of them. Logan grasped the handle and pushed the door open. Cyclops covered his nose and coughed. So the smell was so strong that even he could smell it. They stepped inside, and Cyclops nearly ran into Logan.

"Logan, give a guy a warning before you stop in front of him" he said. But Logan didn't take notice. He was too busy staring at the cage in front of him. A young woman was lying on her side with her eyes closed. The cage was no bigger than a small shed, and the only thing in it was a sink and toilet.

"Oh my god" Cyclops said. Logan raced forward with his claws out and as soon as he neared he got a closer look at the girl. She was wearing a filthy robe that was covered in dried blood. Her skin was pale and her eyes gaunt. He could see her ribs, and her long black hair was knotted beyond belief and filthy. She looked half dead. In a rage, Logan lashed at the bars, but when he was pushed back from the force, he sheathed his claws.

He knew exactly what the metal of the cage was made of. It was the only metal that he couldn't get through. The same exact metal that was laced to his bones.

"Who is she" asked Scott who was kneeling trying to reach her through the cage. "I don't know, but I have a feeling that she is the reason why Stryker is here" he snarled. He clenched his fists and growled. Scott got on his radio and signaled for Nightcrawler and Shadowcat to meet them.

"I'm sorry Logan, but Stryker is going to have to wait. This girl needs medical attention" Cyclops said. Logan nodded. He wanted nothing more at that moment then to get into that damn cage and get her out. He had a horrible feeling that she was like him.

"Were gonna need keys" he said to Scott. "Who would do this" he asked still kneeling on the ground. He wanted to get her out just as much as Logan.

"The same monster who did this" Logan said holding up his claws. Scott eyed them and then his gaze drifted back to hers.

"You don't think she's…" he said without finishing. Logan knew what he was getting at. "There's only one way to find out. We need to get her to the professor" Logan said. There was silence for a time as they listened to the girl's weak breathing.

Then the recognizable sound of Kurt's teleporting brought their attention elsewhere. Kitty soon phased through the wall as well.

"I found a set of keys" Kurt said handing them to Scott. Kitty was walking over and Logan ran up to her. He covered her eyes with his hand and turned her around. A child her age shouldn't see things like this, and that went for Kurt as well.

"Kitty, go back to the jet with Kurt. There's been a change of plan, and we need to evacuate as soon as possible" Logan said.

"But..." she started but Logan pointed his finger towards the exit. Without another word, she and the elf were gone.

Logan went back and waited as Scott began trying the keys. Finally, he found the one that fit and pushed open the barred door. Logan pushed him aside and knelt down next to the girl. He lifted her up gently and was surprised at how light she was. If she was like him, she would have been much heavier even if she was skin and bones. He hoped that she wasn't like him.

He placed her head onto his shoulder and made sure her robe was secure. When he looked down at her, he was met with eyes the color of amethyst jewels. Her gaunt features seemed to disappear from the magnitude of her eyes. It only lasted a split second before she closed them once more.

"Logan, let's go" Scott said eyeing the girl with worry. Logan nodded and followed Scott. He walked as fast as he could without jostling her. When she was safely away from this place, he was going to hunt down the monster that did this to her, whether she was a mutant or not.

O0O

I was barley aware that someone was lifting me up. Whoever they were, they definitely weren't Jack. He would have kicked me awake, or dragged me around by her hair. This person was gentle, and quite. I couldn't figure out who it was. Whoever it was, they were holding me in their arms, and gently placing my head on their shoulder. The moment my head was positioned, a loud strong heart beat engulfed my senses.

This person was very warm, and had a strong heart. For the first time in a long time, my curiosity peaked. I ordered my weak eyes to open for just a moment so I could get a look at this mysterious stranger. Part of me hoped it was Mike, who all those cycles ago helped me get through the machine. He was the only one who had been gentle with me.

When I opened my eyes, I was met with familiar deep chocolate brown eyes. The same eyes that belonged to the girl who died in my arms. My vision blurred in and out so I could barely make out the person. When my vision restored, I could make out that the stranger was male. He had black hair that was messy, and he had small side burns. He had a wide jaw, and his lips were in a straight line as if he ate something bad. He was… what was the word Emma had described good looking men. He was… handsome. Before I could look around more, I felt the pull of my eyes forcibly closing on their own. I drifted off once more. I could hear another male's voice, but it was muffled and I couldn't understand what he was saying. The last thing I could recall, was the slow back and forth pacing that rocked me to sleep.

**Finally she has been rescued by the X-men! There will be more characters from the team as the story progresses. Also I decided to make certain members of the team teenagers like Nightcrawler and Shadowcat. I'll get into the other characters later on. And FYI, this version of Logan is a little different. I'm going to make him taller and way less hairy lol. Otherwise I will keep him in character. I hope to hear some good reviews, and I will have the next chapter up soon!**


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